The invention relates to a gripping hand for a manipulator, which comprises a plurality of hollow members simulating the human hand, which are interconnected in an articulated manner, a reversibly actuated positioning drive and a sensor being associated with each member, for programming purposes the sensors detect the movements of the members derived from a human hand inserted in the gripping hand and the signals of the sensors determine the program performed by the members, controlled by the particular positioning drive, the gripping hand being arranged on an arm, which is programmable by the movements of the gripping hand, if a human hand performing these movements is inserted in the gripping hand and this arm is able to perform movements in three axes which are perpendicular to one another and also rotary movements.
Such a gripping hand is represented in WO No. 83/02249. It forms part of a manipulator, comprising several arm members simulating the human arm, which are articulated to a breastplate, which is carried by a chassis. The chassis is positioned in linkages, whose end remote from the chassis is placed on a rigid support. In the roller chain between the rigid support and the gripping hand a positioning drive and at least one sensor is associated with each chain link. For programming the manipulator and the gripping hand, a person positions himself on the chassis and performs the movements to be programmed. These movements are detected by the sensors associated with the members of the gripping hand and the sensors associated with the chain links and the signals produced by the sensors are recorded and then determine the movements to be performed by the manipulator and the gripping hand, in each case controlled via the positioning drives.
The manipulator is specially constructed.
A number of further manipulators are known, which are constructed according to the principle of a four or five joint unit. Such a manipulator is, e.g., shown in Austrian Pat. No. 365 503. It is known to equip such manipulators with a programming grip, so as to be able to program the manipulator movements. The programming grip is arranged on the final member of the manipulator. During programming, the programming grip is grasped and the sensors associated therewith produce signals, which are recorded and which simultaneously control the manipulator positioning drives, so that the final manipulator member on which the programming grip is arranged can follow a desired movement path. The aforementioned Austrian Pat. No. 365 503 shows two embodiments of such a programming grip.
The problem is to connect the aforementioned gripping hand to a random manipulator in such a way that at the same time as the programming of the movements of the members of the gripping hand, the manipulator can be programmed and its part to which is fixed the gripping hand performs movements which have to be carried out by the gripping hand.